By: Mirabai Bush


Keywords: contemplation, meditation, benefits, social change, global change, West, East, religion, Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, external, internal, quadrants, developmental levels, developmental lines, developmental stages, developmental psychology

Contemplative practice is becoming more apparent as a means to achieve social change. Traditionally in the West, economic, political, and external systems approaches have been taken to achieve change. However, relying solely on this strategy leads to fragmentation. Meditation provides an internal means to create more compassionate, healthy, and reflective communities. Although religious belief can be key in social participation, tolerance and understanding for the ideas of others can diminish; spiritual contemplation beyond religious practice is an important step in greater understanding within communities. Meditation provides a regenerative space that can heal the sense of feeling burned out from intense social action, and can provide the sense of interconnectedness to the community that inspires global change. This article describes the benefits of balancing both external and internal approaches to social change. [Co-Director’s note: This article indirectly refers to the following elements of Integral Theory: quadrants of development, developmental lines. – Barrett]

contemplation, meditation, benefits, social change, global change, West, East, religion, Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, external, internal, quadrants, developmental levels, developmental lines, developmental stages, developmental psychology